


Half Truth

by Deylicious



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic, The Half Bad Trilogy - Sally Green
Genre: AU after TKM, AU: witches are a thing, CAN be read even if you haven't read Half Bad!, Crossover, Gen, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Canon, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-27
Updated: 2018-03-21
Packaged: 2019-02-07 17:48:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 18,904
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12846336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Deylicious/pseuds/Deylicious
Summary: A new school year and a new Exy season mean new Foxes. When Neil has to find a replacement for his first pick for recruitment, he gets more than he bargained for.Or:The TFC/Half Bad crossover no one ever asked for, but I desperately needed.





	1. Déjà Vu

**Author's Note:**

> Sooo, this is actually happening. My first fic (please be kind). It's been in my head for so long, I couldn't not write it down. Even if it's just for myself.
> 
> First things first: I encourage you to read this even if you haven't read the Half Bad trilogy!  
> It'll be written mostly from Neil's and Andrew's pov, so you'll be learning about things along with them. And you'll hopefully see pretty soon why I thought this would make a good crossover.
> 
> This is to be considered AU after the end of TKM (so ignoring canon according to Nora's extra material). I'm trying to keep things as in canon and in character as possible, but I may have to occasionally adjust some things to make this go smoothly.
> 
> For those who have read Half Bad: This is obviously AU for Half Lost.
> 
> Last but not least, a huge thank you to nekojita for letting me rave on about this, for supplying ideas, for encouraging me and beta-reading!

Neil surfaces at the end of April, finals week having passed in a blur. He can barely remember where he's been, but he thinks he may have actually shown up to all his exams. He still can't believe he actually made it to the end, that he's still alive, still  _ here _ .

The past year feels both like an eternity and a blink of the eye, and now he has an actual future ahead of him. It's a lot to think about.

 

He doesn't get much time to think, though. In the aftermath of the game against the Ravens and Riko's subsequent 'suicide' the media has been in a feeding frenzy. Once again their faces - Riko's, Kevin's, Andrew's and his own were all over the Exy news and their respective pasts dredged up once more. Thankfully, with finals happening they were all too busy to be bothered by most of it. But there were still consequences to deal with after the initial shitstorm was over.

Three of the new recruits, among them the one that Neil had actually picked out himself from all the files Wymack had had him poring over in January, decided to rescind their agreement to the contract in light of the whole ordeal. Not that Neil could really blame them, but this left them once again dangerously close to the minimum amount of players required by the NCAA. Wymack sent out another call for applications among coaches he knew through one channel or another, hoping against hope to find someone good enough that hadn't been picked up by any other team yet.

 

And so here Neil is sitting again, with Kevin in Wymack's office, throwing file after file on the 'nope' pile.

“This is a waste of time,” Kevin is muttering, hunched over Wymack's desk and slapping another folder closed. “None of these are good enough, even for the Foxes. Why'd our first picks have to chicken out?”

“Not everyone thrives under media attention, Kevin” Neil shoots back distractedly. He's looking at one of the files sent in by a coach from Riverdin High in Alexandria. “Look at this one, though,” he says, nudging the file over the desk, “Gabriel Boutin, striker. He hasn't been there long, but his stats look good, right?” 

Kevin looks over the data, shrugging “I guess he's not too bad,” he flips through the pages “There isn't much info on him here, he's a bit older than a usual high school graduate too. No parents listed and... huh, not even an address?”

Neil shrugs “He could just be very private.” At Kevin's glare he says “Well, obviously there's a story there. The coach sent the file to  _ us _ , after all.”

“We'll have to look at him in person before we decide anything. He's your new pick then?”

Neil blinks “My pick?”

“Yes, well, you were very adamant about the last one you chose, so I figured you'd want to choose again. Also, with you being vice-captain next season it just makes sense. If we're going to check him out then you're coming with me,” Kevin thumps the folder in emphasis and Neil knows he won't convince him otherwise. As uncomfortable as the idea of taking responsibility for a new recruit makes him, there's something about this Gabriel that connects with him on some level he couldn't begin to rationalize. Maybe it's the general lack of information in the file, much like what his file must have looked like a year ago, or the accounts of occasional odd behaviour given by the coach. At the very least, Neil is curious. And his game stats really do look good.

 

\/\/ 

 

A week later Neil is on a plane to Alexandria International with Kevin and Coach Wymack. After talking it over with Andrew, they decided Andrew would stay behind and spend some time with Aaron and Nicky in Columbia, considering the ordeal of Aaron's recent trial.

Neil is okay with that. He'd spent as much time as possible with Andrew ever since the Ravens game,  they are good together, but they aren't joined at the hip. So he could do this, even if he had to put up with Kevin alone for a couple of days.

 

Their flight lands on time in the early afternoon. The plan is to watch a scrimmage game between two Alexandria high school teams, the Riverdin Chevaliers and the Balton Beavers, to see Gabriel in action before they speak to him.

Wymack takes them in a rental car to a hotel first, to offload their stuff, and then drives them to the school on the other side of the Red River, in the north-eastern part of the city. They find the team coach, Owen Woodard, during preparation before the game.

“Good to meet you. I wasn't sure the files I sent in were the kind you're looking for but I figured it couldn't hurt”, he says after introductions and handshakes.

“Yeah well, we can’t be too picky at this point. There's only one in particular we want to look at before we make any decisions,” Wymack says, almost diplomatically. “Gabriel Boutin? His file didn't say much about him, anything else you wanna tell us?”

The coach seems momentarily confused, then shakes his head with a chuckle. “You mean  _ Gabriel _ ?” he pronounces the name differently, the French way like Americans would say the girl's name Gabrielle. “He's friendly enough, if a bit odd at times. Everyone likes him, he's a good team player, but no one really knows much more than his name and that he obviously has talent, considering he says he's only been playing for about a year. Said he's finishing high school after dropping out before.”

Wymack and Kevin exchange a look and Neil thinks they might be experiencing a sense of déjà vu. The feeling of familiarity he had looking at the file comes back to him. It seems it's more accurate than he expected to it be. It almost makes him squirm, wondering if he's about to blow somebody's cover while they're running or hiding from something... or someone. But they're already here, and anyway, Kevin won't be convinced to leave before looking at this guy.

 

They leave the coach and go to take their seats in the stands among the small audience, probably mostly family and friends, and soon the teams are filing onto the court. The home team of Riverdin High, the Chevaliers, are clad in light grey and gold uniforms, their opponents in brown and leaf green.

Neil catches a first glance at Gabriel, knowing he wears number 6. He's tall, about six foot, and lean, hair longish light brown curls, with a friendly smile on his face as he interacts and warms up with his team mates. Doesn't exactly scream 'Fox' outwardly, but Neil knows by now that there's something hidden there.

The game begins and Neil concentrates on watching the striker perform. His team is on the small side, but still, him being a starting striker as a rookie is telling. Kevin next to him is leaning forward unconsciously in his seat, a familiar look of intent on his face.

The teams seem fairly evenly matched, with the Beavers a bit stronger on the defense, whereas the Chevaliers are honoring their namesakes with a spearheaded offense. Gabriel is fast and though he takes few shots at the goal, they show a precision that speaks clearly to his talent. Everything else about him is rough, but Neil thinks that's something that they could work on. Next to him Kevin has a calculating frown on his face, like he's already planning on which drills to put him through first. Wymack sits behind them, his face stoic but definitely not bored.

Gabriel is in for the full first half of the game, and then again during the last quarter, showing some impressive stamina and racking up decent points for his team. They still only win by a small margin, the opponents taking advantage of the Chevaliers' weaker back line, but both teams look reasonably happy with the outcome. This was only a scrimmage after all, no pressure and probably neither side showing their absolute best. Neil still enjoyed it, it's nice to watch something with lower stakes every once in a while.

While the teams are shaking hands and lingering on the court to talk and clean up, Wymack leaves the stands ahead of them to meet the other coach again in front of the locker rooms.

“Well, he’s rough around the edges, but there is potential,” Kevin states as he leans back, watching the players leave the court one by one.

“High praise from one Kevin Day, be sure not to tell him that directly or he might faint,” Neil snarks back. He remembers all too well how Kevin spoke to him when they first met, while saying some much more enthusiastic things when he wasn't there to hear them.

Kevin just rolls his eyes.

 

The court and stands are basically empty now, but for some reason, Gabriel is still standing there, in the middle of the court in full gear with his racquet in one hand and his helmet under his arm. Neil wonders if he's just savouring the moment, except suddenly there's another guy there with him. He's wearing Exy gear too, but it looks cobbled together, nothing official, no team colours, a scuffed up heavy racquet in one hand. Neil can't tell much about him from the distance and with the gear obscuring his features, just that the guy is a little shorter than Gabriel and apparently knows him. They clack their racquets in greeting and now Gabriel is grinning like the cat that got the canary. Nothing they say to each other is intelligible through the court walls, but they soon collect a ball and start to  _ play _ .

Neil and Kevin's eyes widen in surprise. Suddenly it's like they're watching a completely different level. Before Gabriel was jovial and fun, having a good time with some teammates. Now he and the newcomer are monsters on the court, not holding anything back, savage grins on their faces. There's no polish to their technique, no technique to speak of really, but they're viciously fast, racquet swings so strong they make whistling sounds through the air. Neither seems to have a fixed position, they just alternate between attacking and defending, going at it with all they have. Neil and Kevin are transfixed, Neil thinks they must have the same thought going through their heads. They  _ have _ to have them. Both of them.

When it finally looks like the two players are winding down, Neil and Kevin quietly leave the stands and join up with Wymack and Coach Woodard, who are in Woodard's office now.

 

“There you are,” grumbles Wymack “Are they finally done cleaning up? Figured we could talk to your guy in the locker rooms, most of the other players are already gone.”

“There was another guy there,” Kevin blurts “He just came on after the others left the court and he and Gabriel... you should've seen it, they're perfect! We have to take both of them!” he gestures excitedly, a gleam in his eye that Neil only ever sees when he's becoming fanatical about the team's future. Neil just nods along.

“Hold up, what other guy?” Wymack frowns. “I thought we were only here for Gabriel Boutin?”

“Ah, about that,” Coach Woodard is wringing his hands slightly uncomfortably. “This boy, he's apparently a friend of Gabriel's,” he says it almost like a question. “He just shows up sometimes after practice. He doesn't go to Riverdin High... or any school as far as I can tell? He's a bit... unapproachable. I don't even know his name, I just leave them to it for a while,” he shrugs “They clean up after themselves, what's the harm?”

Now that sounds even more suspicious than Gabriel's incomplete records. 'Is this kid not even trying to blend in?' an old part of Neil's mind criticizes cynically. He shoves away the voice that sounds too much like his mother and focuses on the facts. Those being that it doesn't matter who Gabriel and the new guy really are, so long as they come play for the Foxes. For once he agrees with Kevin's intense need, these two are raw, uncut diamonds.

Wymack must recognize the look in their eyes, as he just huffs and turns back to the coach. “Any way we can speak to both of them?”

Woodard shrugs again “You can try. Better catch them while they’re changing out though, they usually vanish right after.” He leads them out of the office and back to the locker rooms, where he hangs back, shifting on his feet. “I've still got some stuff to sort out in the office, let me know when you're done.”

Wymack frowns, noting the suddenly nervous behavior but not commenting on it. “All right then,” he grunts as he pushes open the door to the lockers, stepping in after Kevin and Neil.

 

The two young men are almost done changing when they enter. Gabriel is just pulling a fresh shirt over his head, but the other one is already looking up as if he heard them coming. Catching a proper glance of the mysterious second player for the first time is a bit jarring. He's of average height, all lean muscle, with messy ink black hair, blacker eyes and an olive complexion. He's not bad looking, Neil supposes, but something about his presence is so dark it’s almost overwhelming. The scowl etched on his face looks permanent. Out of the Exy gear, Neil can spot a tattoo on the side of his neck that says “B 0.5” and as he lifts a towel to his face, he catches more tattoos on his hands and a glimpse of a mangled wrist covered in scars that look like the skin had melted and run down the joint at some point. Neil knows that this is what severe acid burns can look like. That alone is intriguing but the glare he shoots the three intruders is probably the most memorable thing about him. There's tension in his posture for only a second or two before it seems to dissipate, his hands lowering to hang loosely by his sides. Neil knows better than to mistake this for relaxation. It's a fighter's stance, like a panther coiled to jump. Gabriel next to him is shooting him a slightly worried glance, before he directs his eyes curiously back to the group.

 

“Hello,” Wymack begins his recruitment spiel. Neil notes he's keeping his distance, conveniently blocking the door, and not offering a hand to shake. “My name is Coach David Wymack and this here is Kevin Day and Neil Josten,” he waits a beat but there's no reaction. “We're here from Palmetto State University. Coach Woodard sent me some of your team statistics. We came to watch you play today to see if you were a fit for the Foxes, our Exy team.” Markedly more diplomatic than he had been with Neil, he directs this at Gabriel, who just stares back, dumbstruck for a second but seems to shake it off quickly and says “Uhm, hi. Gabriel Boutin, but I guess you already know that if you've... looked at my file,” he smiles widely, if not entirely convincingly. He definitely has some sort of French accent. He doesn't seem to recognize any of their names, so he obviously isn't following Exy beyond playing. Neil doesn't quite know if this a good or a bad sign. On the one hand they seem to have been spared the drama over recent events and so would be less likely to reject them on those grounds. On the other hand they'd have  _ no _ idea what they're in for, should they accept.

Nevertheless, Wymack takes it as encouragement and plows on “We think you'd be a good fit. The contract includes a five year scholarship to PSU, room and board at the athlete's dorm included, as well a an allowance.” Gabriel is actually starting to look cautiously interested in the idea, but keeps looking over to his friend, making it obvious that he likely wouldn't accept unless they both go.

So Wymack turns to the other boy and says “As it turns out, Kevin and Neil here watched you two play together after the game was over and ...well, we'd like to take you both, ” he spreads his hands like something between and offer and a shrug. When there's still no reaction he continues, “I guess it's kinda late now, and maybe you've already made plans for after high school. To be honest some of our initial picks fell through, so here we are, a little desperate.” His only answer is complete silence and an unnerving stare from the other boy. Wymack, not one to be easily unnerved, just waits. Neil is getting less hopeful until Gabriel darts another glance between them and his friend and speaks up “Let us have a word in private? We'll come meet you outside in a bit.”

Wymack grunts in affirmation and leaves, Kevin and Neil tagging along. Kevin has been uncharacteristically silent over the last minutes and Neil wonders if Wymack told him beforehand to hold back on his particular brand of demanding persuasion technique. They're heading towards the exit, but Neil is too curious, so he lingers by the locker room door, oh so subtly re-tying his shoelaces.

He can hear Gabriel’s voice muffled through the door. “I think we should do it,” he's saying to the other boy whose name Neil has still yet to learn. Neil can practically hear the unimpressed glare he gets in response. “I'm not going to lie, I'd love to go. University! And we'd get to play Exy together all the time. It just seems like a good opportunity... but you know I would never go anywhere without you,” he trails off.

“What is this, emotional blackmail? How do you think this is supposed to work?” the other one speaks for the first time. To Neil's utter surprise, he's got a British accent. Not one of those posh TV documentary ones, but something homegrown and plain. Gabriel's accent is still hard to place, though Neil thinks he might have heard something similar in the french parts of Switzerland.

The silence that follows makes Neil think that maybe this time it's Gabriel doing the glaring. 

“What? You want me to go to school? It's not gonna work, Gabriel. And sleep inside a dorm?” he scoffs. Neil doesn't quite understand why that would be a problem, oddly phrased as it is. But Gabriel clearly isn't giving up so easily. There's a feeling that debates like this aren't rare for these two, a great deal of familiarity resonates between them.

“We'll figure something out. We always have. And remember Van's last package? It's like she knew something. And as for school, athletes generally aren't expected to overachieve in classes. And maybe the University has an art program. You'd like that, right?”

Another long silence, possibly filled with more glaring, until Gabriel finally pleads quietly “At least give it a try? I never ask you for anything. We can always leave if it doesn't work out... Please?”

And apparently that seems to do the trick.

Neil stops eavesdropping at this point and hurries to join the others outside. Wymack raises an eyebrow at him, to which he just shrugs with an unapologetic half-smirk.

 

After only a few minutes, the two boys make their way over to them. Gabriel is looking ecstatic, a wide smile on his face, the other one is still scowling impressively, his arms crossed as they come to a stop in front of Wymack.

“We'd like to accept your offer!” Gabriel says brightly, finally holding out a hand for Wymack to shake, then Kevin and Neil.

“Right.” Wymack says, a little relieved, a little nonplussed. “Well. We can figure out the paperwork and all that over the next few weeks. If you need any help with anything, just let us know. We'd appreciate it if you could make your way to Palmetto as soon after graduation as possible, so we can get you settled in and acclimated to the rest of the team before the season starts.” At the word 'graduation' he darts a quick glance at the still stubbornly silent dark-haired boy, but apparently decides he doesn't want to know how they'll make it work for him. Plausible deniability and all that.

Neil is just quietly pleased that they'll be getting two such strong players and he locks eyes with Kevin who also seems satisfied by this outcome. 

He almost doesn't catch the end of the conversation with Wymack.

“I'm going to need a name for the paperwork.” he's saying to the dark haired boy, who stares at him for several long seconds before finally responding

 

“Nathan.“

  
  
  
  



	2. What's in a name

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, so I was completely blown away by the response to the first chapter!! I honestly expected to be writing this whole thing basically just for myself... but here you are, hello!  
> I'm glad those of you who haven't read Half Bad are intrigued as well, and I hope I can keep you interested. If anything is too vague or confusing, don't hesitate to ask!
> 
> This is a bit shorter, really it's more chapter 1.5, but it has a few new viewpoints. 
> 
> Hope you like it!

Neil doesn't hear anything else for a moment as he physically recoils from _that_ name. Shock roaring in his ears, he stumbles back a step, prompting concerned looks from both Wymack and Kevin, who seem a bit dumbstruck themselves.

 He should have known, should have realized that this might happen one day. It’s not such a rare name, after all. He should have been ready for the eventuality, but right now he isn’t. He definitely isn’t.

 Noticing his reaction, the black-haired boy - Nathan - narrows his eyes and flicks a suspicious glance at Neil. This is actually the first time he’s looking directly at him, his gaze raking over him, not snagging on the scars on his face, like Neil has come to expect, but rather lingering inexplicably for the briefest second on his eyes. Apparently he finds what he's looking for there, since he turns away again, disinterested once more.

 

Wymack is the first to recover, clearing his throat before asking “Is there a last name to go with that?”

There is a short exchange of unreadable expressions between Nathan and Gabriel, who had also picked up on the sudden tension and had been darting confused glances between Nathan and the others.

“Ashworth,” Nathan states finally, without even bothering to try and not make it sound like a decision made in the moment.

Wymack nods stoically. “We’re also going to need a way to get in contact with you, and send you the contracts and flight tickets.”

The rest of the conversation passes in a daze for Neil. He vaguely hears Gabriel give Wymack a PO box address as well as a landline phone number with very specific call times. Apparently neither of them has a cell phone and Neil isn’t sure if it would be hypocritical of him to be suspicious about that.

 

After that they part ways, the two soon-to-be recruits heading off in the direction of the woods that border on the school grounds while Neil, Kevin and Wymack retrace their steps to the parking lot in front of the school gym.

 

For a while it seems they’re all still a little stunned by what had just transpired. Kevin keeps shooting looks at Neil, his brow kneading as if he’s working up to saying something but can’t quite bring himself to.

It’s a bit of a shame, they should be glad, right? They’d just won two new players when they’d only hoped to gain one, and the potential they showed when playing together far exceeded the stats they’d seen on paper.

Lots of reasons to rejoice, all soured by a damn _name_. Neil tries to shake off his funk by messaging Andrew on his phone while they’re in the car on the way back to their hotel. He doesn’t tell him about the surprise recruit just yet, just that things went well for them and that he looks forward to joining him in Columbia tomorrow.

Their flight is supposed to leave in the early morning, so they grab a bite at a diner close to the hotel and then call it an early night.

Neil dreams that night, because of course he does. Kevin, even without the help of alcohol, sleeps like a stone and doesn’t notice Neil tossing and turning. His scars itch and tingle.

For 19 years the name Nathan was synonymous with pain and terror, a label for the too real monster of the living nightmare that was his childhood. Even worse, a part of himself, carved into his face in a wide smile and piercing ice-blue eyes, pushing knives into his hands and telling him how to apply them. He’d used them to excise the name from his own. He’d thought it finally over, left dead and buried back in Baltimore.

And now, just like that, the lines are blurring again.

 

 _‘It’s just a name,’_ he thinks.

 _‘This is stupid,’_ he argues with his looping mind, but it doesn't seem to care.

 

And it’s not quite true, is it? There’s more about that boy, about Nathan, that triggers the flight instinct that had lain dormant since Neil struck his deal with Ichirou. A British accent that reminds him of his time spent with the Hatford family in England. The unmistakable fighter’s stance in the locker room. The scars and tattoos, the silences and secrets… Neil wonders if this is what he looked like to Andrew when he first arrived last year.

He has an inkling that Andrew is going to have a field day with this one.

 

\/\/

 

Andrew knows something is up even before he picks up Neil from the airport near Palmetto.

For one thing, Neil has been entirely too unenthusiastic in his texts about their newly acquired recruit. In fact, he’s been suspiciously monosyllabic in his responses as well, like there was something else distracting him. He can smell Neil’s lies a mile against the wind, even those by omission. He doesn’t call him on them though, not yet anyway. He decides to wait until he can look Neil in the face while he talks to him.

It becomes even more obvious when he sees Neil coming out of the domestic arrivals gate behind Wymack and Kevin, dark smudges under his eyes that no amount of bravado can cover up.

Something is most definitely up.

Andrew waits as Neil says goodbye to Wymack and Kevin. He waits during the drive back to Columbia, Neil in the passenger seat next to him with his head resting back, expression tired and brittle. He waits him out until they’re sitting on the back porch of the house in Columbia, cigarettes in hands.

Then he says “Tell me.”

Neil heaves a sigh, slightly shuddery on the exhale, pushes a hand through his already disheveled hair before he speaks. “We didn’t just get Gabriel,” Andrew notes he says the name with a perfect French accent now. “We... found a second guy there, not from the team but a friend of Gabriel’s, and recruited him too.”

“So why is your junkie heart not leaping with joy?” 

Neil chews his lip, lets the words crawl painfully up his throat, like gargling glass “His name is ...Nathan.”

 

Oh.

 

“It’s just a name,” Andrew says, flat. No reprimand, mere fact.

“I _know_ that!” Neil grates out harshly. “I know, believe me. It doesn’t help, it doesn’t make it easier…”

Andrew knows a thing or two about how irrational a mind can be, adding sticky associations to what would otherwise be considered harmless words and phrases. Names are just names. And yet.

Idly, he wonders how he’d react if they ever got a freshman called Drake...

 

“Your issues have never been easy,” Andrew states on a smoky exhale. “You’re signing him anyway.”

 Neil’s face clears up a bit. “They were amazing on the court together, downright scary. Gabriel with his  team was okay, but when they played alone… Plus Gabriel would never have signed if his friend didn’t get a contract too. I couldn’t say no.” 

“You can always say no. You chose not to run from a name. Progress.”

 For the first time that day, Neil’s mouth quirks a small smile. “Yeah, maybe.” He turns to Andrew, a familiar gleam back in his tired eyes. “Yes or no?”

 

“Yes.”

 

\/\/

 

_a few days later_

 

When Gabriel gets back to the log cabin in the afternoon, brand new high school diploma in the bag and a bounce in his step, Nathan isn’t there.

This isn’t unusual. Nathan would often spend whole days in the woods or at the lake when Gabriel was at school. He doesn’t stay a minute longer inside than he has to, especially recently, like he’s storing up for a period of deprivation.

Gabriel sighs. He almost wants ask him if he’s regretting agreeing to the move to South Carolina. To living with other people, with fains even.  But then Gabriel is fairly certain that this change might be just what they need. He’s not sure if Nathan is lying to him or himself when he says he’s content to stay here the rest of their lives. Sure, it’s an idyllic place, mostly free from interfering fains, bar the occasional hiker, and outside of any claimed territory. Nothing but forest around them, game in the woods, fish in the lake. Everything they needed right there. Everything Nathan had literally dreamed of, and yet lately he’s been restless. An itch under his skin that Gabriel can almost see in the way he moves less smoothly, like he wants to jump at shadows. He’s holding onto the vision he had, but it’s slowly slipping through his fingers.

Gabriel knows, Nathan has only ever wanted a peaceful, quiet life. But it seems that it is not what he _needs_.

He’s always said it; Nathan doesn’t think, Nathan does.

So yes, they need to be _doing_ something again, and if that something is playing a sport they both actually enjoy and comes with a free place to stay and food and money… It’s almost too good to be true.

 

As he enters their little cabin he swings his backpack off his shoulders and digs out both his high school certificate and the large envelope he picked up from their PO box on the way home. He’s already sent a message to Celia and Van to send more supplies and fix the certificate situation for Nathan. The package should get here easily in time before they have to leave.

 

It doesn’t take long for Nathan to join him at their kitchen table, which still has a few sheets of paper with unfinished sketches of both wildlife and people, specifically Gabriel, strewn across its surface. Another shred of proof that Nathan is too keyed up to even concentrate on drawing, something that would usually calm him down.

 

“Hi.” Nathan says to him, ever effusive with his words. 

“Hi,” Gabriel smiles back. “Look at what was in the mail today.” He holds up the envelope which he knows contains their contracts with PSU and the Foxes team, just a few pages with words that will define the next five years of their lives.

Nathan looks at it, crosses his arms, unimpressed.

Gabriel continues unperturbed “It’s going to be fine, Nathan! Actually, I think it’s going to be fun! You know, I had a chance to sneak into the computer lab before they closed it today. I looked up the Foxes online. Apparently the team is made up of all kinds of misfits with checkered pasts. The coach must be some kind of bleeding heart, wouldn’t know it if you look at him. They seem to have gotten a lot of publicity over the last couple of years, I didn’t have time to read it all. Anyway, what it means is these aren’t just normal fains and the people there must be used to some weird habits and things like that. We’ll fit right in!” he finishes with a grin.

Nathan snorts “They haven’t seen weird yet.”

Well that sounds a lot more encouraging than ‘this is never going to work, Gabriel’ which had been the chorus of their conversations lately.

“I know, and I think you’ll show them!” He laughs and pulls out the contracts and starts reading them to Nathan. Everything the coach promised is in there, even the  plane tickets they won’t be using, Gabriel is actually starting to believe it’s real now.

When he finishes Nathan sighs a concession “I had a look at the maps we took from Mercury. If it hasn’t changed too much since they were drawn, the place is outside of any territory, but the next big city about an hour  away is pretty populated,” he drags the map out from under the pile of sketches and points at a borderline going between the area of Palmetto and the city of Columbia.

“Well, that just means if we stay away from there then no one will come bother us. And it seems there’s a nice amount of forest and lakes to the north and west of Palmetto.” Gabriel points out, nudging Nathan in the side. Nathan ducks his head to hide a smile playing on his lips.

“You can admit that you’re looking forward to it, you know?” Gabriel prods. “Come on! You know you’ve been going stir-crazy here. It’s time we get back in action… or should I say; back into the game?” he waggles his eyebrows.

Nathan finally snorts a real laugh. “That was terrible.”

“You love it!”

“Just shut up,” Nathan says and then leans in to make sure he does.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well then, next time things are going to get... fun!
> 
> I'm still deliberately keeping some things mysterious, but you will start getting some answers soon (inevitable, once Detective Andrew is on the case!)
> 
> If you have any thoughts, theories, assumptions or questions, I'd love to hear them in the comments! 
> 
> Oh, and you can also find me on tumblr under fall-for-the-game :)


	3. Holed up with Foxes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Foxes old and new come together, and things are off to a good start.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello again!   
> I continue to be surprised by people actually responding positively to this fic. I hope I can keep you entertained, even if chapters may be slow in coming sometimes.  
> This one was a bit of a struggle and I'm not super happy with the dialogue but... if I keep going back over it again and again it'll never get posted, so here you go! At least it's a bit longer than the last.
> 
> Huge thanks again to nekojita for the beta!

Neil spends the remaining weeks of May in Columbia with Andrew and his lot, in one configuration or another. Aaron is there for a week and then goes to spend time with Katelyn and her family. Nicky joins them after he returns from visiting Erik in Germany. Kevin elects to stay the entirety of their class-free time with Wymack, though sleeping at Abby’s place and intermittently harassing them with demanding phone calls and texts about practice. He is told in no uncertain terms that there will be no Exy until they’re back in Fox Tower.

Neil and Andrew are inseparable the whole time. They sit on the back porch and smoke, they lounge on the couch, half-watching inane tv programs. They sleep and they eat and they sleep, and they sit on the porch and smoke some more, staring into the night or at each other. Neil doesn’t remember a time he’s ever felt so quietly content. It’s almost disconcertingly peaceful. For almost the whole first week, he’s almost on edge waiting for something to happen. Something always happened whenever he got complacent in the past. But day after day passed with no great calamity befalling them, so Neil started to relax and enjoy the peace with Andrew, able to forget everything else for a time. He even manages to forget about his troublingly mysterious two recruits for those few weeks.

 

Until it’s suddenly June and time to reunite the Foxes.

 

They make it to the stadium early on moving day, where all the Foxes new and old are supposed to gather for a first meeting and Wymack’s introductory speech. Surprisingly, they’re not the first ones in the Foxes’ lounge. Allison, for once not fashionably late, is standing next to Renee in front of the trophy case which she had provided, true to her promise, admiring their championship trophy once more. Renee turns around briefly as Andrew, Neil and Nicky enter and gives them a smile and a wave. Allison doesn’t deign to acknowledge them yet, just keeps on talking to Renee, gesturing animatedly. Aaron is already sitting on their ‘claimed’ couch, arms crossed sullenly as usual. They make their way over to sit down as well, Neil on the right end of the couch with Andrew next to him, Nicky squeezing in between Andrew and Aaron, taking advantage of Kevin’s absence.

The other Foxes soon come trickling in one by one - or two in the case of Dan and Matt -  the new dealer sub Sheena Davies, shortly followed by John “Jack” Delaney, Kevin’s pick and new striker sub. The two newbies look around the room, surveilling the assembled Foxes and seating arrangements, before apparently tacitly agreeing to stay close by the door for now, all the while trying to keep from shifting and showing their nervousness.  Finally Kevin himself strides into the room with Wymack and they take up position at the front of the lounge, looking over everyone assessingly… and noticing that they’re still short two players. Gabriel and Nathan haven’t shown up yet.

Neil doesn’t know if the other Foxes even heard about his new pick, or the surprise addition that came with him. He doesn’t know what Wymack arranged with them for travel to Palmetto and the Foxhole Court, if anything. He barely registered Kevin’s text that the two boys had returned the signed contracts before he pushed them out of his mind so he didn’t have to deal with  _ that name _ just yet. He’s a little ashamed that he doesn’t really know anything about the when and where and how of what basically are  _ his _ recruits.

Wymack looks in his direction like he’s reading his self-recriminating thoughts, but just shrugs stoically and leans back as if settling in to wait for the latecomers. So Neil figures everything must have gone mostly to plan and they  _ are _ actually supposed to show up today.

 

A good thirty minutes passes uneventfully with the Foxes just talking among themselves. Dan and Matt ask Neil how his break was and tell him how they spent theirs with Matt’s mom in New York, doing sightseeing and other couple things apparently. Nicky pipes up about his trip to Germany and how he’s already missing beer and Erik. Aaron rolls his eyes at him, but contributes a short recap of his stay with Katelyn and her parents. Apparently they went to a beach somewhere. Neil suppresses a shudder. He just says that he enjoyed some quiet time in Columbia, prompting loaded looks from Dan and Matt. Andrew is a silent but warm presence at his side.

Meanwhile the new guy, Jack, is striking up a conversation with Kevin, his tone downright reverent. Figures that Kevin would recruit someone  who would worship the ground he walks upon. Neil catches Andrew sparing him just the briefest glance and discarding him as harmless. 

Sheena also gives up her post by the door and sits in one of the chairs, arms crossed and tapping her foot impatiently.

 

Finally the door opens once more and in steps Gabriel Boutin, newest striker sub of the Foxes. He stops once he’s cleared the door and looks around, lips twitching like a beaming smile wants to explode on his face. He looks so cheerful and delighted that Neil finds it once again hard to reconcile that he is supposed to be a Fox. Gabriel’s bright presence almost cancels out the shadow that follows him through the still open door, coming to stand beside him. 

 

Nathan.

 

Neil swallows down the hitch in his breath and instead of looking at the final new Fox, he slinks a somewhat nervous  glance sideways at Andrew, waiting for his reaction. Neil knows he should’ve told Andrew a bit more about the mystery recruit, should’ve mentioned the scars maybe, or the angry aura he gives off, or the obvious lie that is his last name… anything more than just the fact that he has his dreaded father’s name. He knows from personal experience how observant Andrew is and how quickly he spots a lie, so it’s really no surprise that Andrew goes tense beside him as soon as he spots the guy. It’s almost like he’s scanning him, taking in the clean but clearly old and worn clothes; a plain grey-that-might-have-been-white-once t-shirt with holes in the sleeves, frayed black cargo pants, combat boots that look like they could fall apart at any moment, fingerless gloves on his hands, and around his neck an arab scarf, of all things. In June. Gabriel by comparison looks almost well put together, though his jeans, shirt and sneakers don’t exactly look new either. They’re both carrying a backpack each, and nothing else.

When Andrew is finished taking in the two, he turns his head slowly toward Neil and stares him down, utterly flat and unimpressed. Neil looks sheepishly back, only just holding back the shrug.

 

Meanwhile Gabriel is approaching Wymack - sunshine personality turned up so much it’s almost blinding - and opens his mouth, probably to say hello or to apologize for their late arrival, when Nathan behind him, who has been trailing his dark eyes over the room and the people in it, spots the girls by the trophy wall and goes stiff. His face morphs from a basic scowl to a grimace of utter rage as he starts moving towards Allison in menacing strides. It happens so suddenly that none of the Foxes have time to react, only Gabriel seems to realize what’s going on and intercepts Nathan halfway to a wide-eyed Allison, wrapping his arms around him to stop his advance. He’s clearly struggling while the dark-haired boy writhes, his hands clenching and unclenching where they’re trapped against his sides like they want to wrap themselves around Allison’s neck and  _ squeeze _ . Gabriel holds on tight, throwing a glance over his shoulder at her and Renee - who is standing uncharacteristically stunned and frozen beside her friend - seemingly understands the situation quickly and starts murmuring urgently to the boy straining against him. Neil doesn’t quite catch all he’s saying but he definitely hears “It’s not her!” and “Calm down, look again! It’s not her. We’re in America, she’s not here!” 

An almost animalistic growl escapes Nathan’s clenched teeth, a sound caught somewhere between fury, desperation and, oddly, grief. Nostrils flaring and breathing heavy, it takes a moment before he seems to register Gabriel’s words, his eyes clear and starts to calm down. He stands still and taut as a bowstring in Gabriel’s arms for a few seconds longer, then pushes away and moves back towards the wall next to the door, arms crossed defensively and head tilted down. 

“Oh great,” Allison mutters, trying to cover her shock, “we got another monster.” She crosses her arms, still looking shaken. Renee has a reassuring hand on her arm but even she seems unusually unsettled.

 

Gabriel looks at his friend worriedly for a moment longer, before turning back to Wymack. All of this passed so fast and unexpectedly that none of the people in the room seem to have even moved, not even Wymack or Andrew, not that Neil would normally expect him to defend Allison, but still.

“So, uh, here we are! Sorry we’re late.” Gabriel says  smiling somewhat apologetically and rubbing the side of his neck with one hand.

Wymack blinks at him for a moment, before he seems to decide that it’s not worth asking; no one got hurt and these are the Foxes, so drama was bound to unfold sooner or later. He clears his throat and says “Well, now that we’re all here. I guess it’s time for the whole introduction thing for the newbies. The others know the drill, names and positions and so on. And try not to kill each other before the season has even begun.” He gestures at Dan to take the lead, being the captain after all.  She shakes her head, removing her stunned expression and introduces herself in her usual confident and determined manner, welcoming the new Foxes into their ranks and finishes her speech with “I know we can continue our success story this year if we work together as a team. So button up rookies, you’re in for a lot of work!” She then pointedly looks at Neil, who almost asks ‘What?’ before realizing that, yes, he is vice captain now, and as such should probably go second.

Feeling a bit awkward he begins. “Right. I’m Neil Josten, starting striker and, uh, vice captain of the Foxes as of this year.” He looks over to their recruits again, who are now more or less gathered at the front of the room next to Wymack, with the exception of Nathan who is still hovering by the door. “Dan is right, you’ll have to integrate yourselves quickly into the team so we can continue beating the other teams and prove that the one championship we won was definitely not a fluke.” He can’t imagine much worse right now than the team faltering under the pressure to repeat last year’s performance. The uncertainty of adding several new people to a roster that has only just come together as a team has been in the back of his mind for some time.

He leans back to signify that he’s finished speaking and Kevin takes up the baton,  continuing to impress upon them the importance of practice and drills and all that. Neil tunes him out in favor of looking at Andrew again to gauge his assessment of what just happened. As expected, Andrew is watching Nathan, his eyebrows drawn down the slightest bit, but he’s also glancing over at Gabriel once or twice, like he’s examining the connection between the two and already figuring out a plan of action. Neil can’t wait to get out this meeting over with so he can talk to Andrew, who will no doubt have some pointed things to say to him as well.

 

As the introductions make their way round to the new recruits and Gabriel starts speaking in his accented American, Nicky lets out a low whistle and turns to Neil with a wolfish grin.  “Ooh, I very much approve of this little freshman you’ve brought us, Neil! And I think my gaydar senses are tingling!” he wriggles his fingers by his head for effect, mostly managing to look creepy. “The other one’s quite the looker too, if a bit… gloomy for my taste,” he continues in a stage-whisper until Andrew throws him a warning look.

Neil shakes his head and turns his attention back just in time to hear their last recruit finally start talking.

“My name is Nathan Ashworth,” he says tonelessly, and after a look at Gabriel who seems to be trying to encourage him just by wriggling his eyebrows he continues, “never really had a position but I’m told I’ll be a backliner.”

Neil does not manage not to flinch at the name again, not like it would’ve mattered because all the eyes in the room turn to him in an almost eerie kind of synchronicity that probably would’ve made the Ravens proud. He frowns back at them, trying not to cringe away from all the attention and doesn’t otherwise respond. No need for them to know that there is an issue here, he doesn’t need their pity. He almost wishes they’d never found out the significance of that name. 

Obviously, the new guys notice this weird reaction. Jack and Sheena don’t  know exactly why everyone is looking at Neil but they don’t really seem to care either, probably expecting strange things to go on with the Foxes after having followed the news coverage over the last year. 

But Nathan’s scowl redoubles and his black eyes sweep the room again, looking everyone over; looking directly into their eyes, Neil notices again. Gabriel is shifting a little uncertainly where he had moved next to him, his smile noticeably dimmed in confusion. 

 

“What?” Nathan finally growls into the silence, uncrossing his arms to let his hands drop by his sides.

 

“Nothing,” Neil hurries to say before anyone else can respond. “They, uh, just didn’t expect two recruits when I’d initially only picked one,” he finishes lamely. Not his best lie, he must be getting out of practice. Thankfully, the Foxes seem to take the hint and say nothing else.

Nathan frowns at him a moment longer before he looks away again, directing his gaze at Wymack.

 

Coach picks up his speech again, handing out paperwork for them to sign and telling them about the routine physicals at the start of the week before they can join practice, as well as the mandatory once-per-semester session with resident psychiatrist Betsy Dobson. Neil watches Nathan’s scowl deepen again, his shoulders hunching a little, but he doesn’t react beyond that. He shoves his paperwork at Gabriel who is directly next to him, pressed shoulder to shoulder with his friend seemingly in silent support. Out of the corner of his eye Neil sees Andrew taking it all in as well. Already it seems the mysteries are piling on top of each other.

 

At last, the Foxes are released from Wymack’s gruff instructions and start to file out of the lounge. Nathan is the first one out of the room with Gabriel on his heels. Dan and Matt shoot lingering looks of worry at Neil before they leave to start unloading Matt’s truck. Renee leaves with Allison, throwing a troubled look over her shoulder, not just at Neil, but at Andrew too. Jack follows behind Kevin and Wymack, Sheena trailing behind them until it’s only Neil, Andrew, Nicky and Aaron left in the room.

 

“So uhm… is this going to be problem?” asks Nicky nervously, still looking at the door.

“Oh there’s no doubt that there are many problems,” Andrew says flatly, “and the guy’s name is the least of them,” he finishes with a damning look at Neil.

Aaron rolls his eyes and starts moving toward the door “What else is new?” he grumbles, dragging a still concerned looking Nicky along with him.

 

When they’re alone, Andrew crosses his arms and stares at Neil, an eyebrow ticks up minutely, asking for an explanation.

Neil just shrugs expansively “I told you they were too good to say no to.”

“I was wrong, there is no progress at all. I thought you were done bringing trouble to the Foxes?” the eyebrow raises further.

That… stings a little. 

“It’s not like I went looking for it? And let’s be realistic, trouble follows all of us. We’re still going to need good players this year, I’ll deal with the consequences.”

“Sure you will, like you’re managing so well already with just the name. And the accent? Who the fuck did you bring on the team, Neil?” 

“I don’t know, okay? They’re… not related to anything from last year, that much I’m sure of. They’ve apparently only been in the country for a year. Look, whatever they’re hiding? It’ll come out one way or another, I know that from experience,” he says wryly “and when it does, we’ll deal with it. It can’t be much worse than what went down last year. And… I’ll get over the name eventually.”

“You’re going to have to, vice cap, or it’ll get awkward on the court. Wouldn’t want that, would we?”

 

They make their way outside to where Aaron and Nicky are waiting impatiently by the car. They drive over to Fox Tower and unload their things from the Maserati to bring them up to the rooms.

When they exit the elevator on the third floor and turn onto the hallway it looks like the next bout of drama is already unfolding.

 

“Can’t I room with you, Day?” Jack is whining at an indignant Kevin, “I don’t wanna stay in a room with that crazy fucker!” he points a thumb over his shoulder at the open door of the suite, where Gabriel and Nathan seem to be inspecting their new abode.

“Aww Jack, honey,” Nicky coos, coming up to sling an arm over Jack’s shoulders “Haven’t you heard? We’re all mad here!” he purrs with his best imitation of a cheshire cat smile.

“Get  _ off _ me, faggot!” Jack snarls, pushing Nicky away.

“Do not use that word,” Andrew warns flatly, shouldering his way between Jack and his cousin.

“Enough!” Kevin barks “You were assigned to this room with the other two rookies, and that’s where you’ll stay.” The Queen had spoken. Jack huffs derisively and crosses his arms, staring mutinously at the open doorway to the suite. Kevin leaves him standing there and moves on to the room which he’ll be sharing again with Andrew and Neil.

Andrew merely raises an eyebrow, hitches up the load he is carrying and follows after Kevin. Neil spares another look at the three freshmen. He has little patience for Jack’s antics but at the same time he is glad that their room was already full and he wouldn’t have to share with any of them. As he looks at Andrew’s broad back while walking after him to their suite, a tingling feeling starts in his stomach. Not nerves, per se, but a sort of anticipation for the near future. Soon he will be playing Exy again, and this time with no nightmares of his past or demented birds chasing him. Now, Exy is more than just his last hurrah and a way to escape the demons in his head for a while. Now, it is his life.

 

\/\/

 

Gabriel looks around the room. It is relatively large, compared to what he expected a ‘dorm’ to look like. Pre-furnished with a kitchen, desks and a couch in the main room, and two bunk beds and large dressers in the bedroom. This would do just fine. It’s certainly not the worst place he’s stayed in since escaping France with his father and sister, leaving behind their burning house and the three dead bodies inside it.

He shakes off those thoughts and instead moves over to where Nathan is standing, looking out a window in the bedroom with a pensive frown on his face. 

“What is it?” he asks quietly as he sidles up next to him.

“What is it?! Didn’t you notice? That weird reaction from all of them, everytime they hear my name. What’s up with that?!” Nathan hisses, trying to keep quiet because of the third boy currently moving into the suite with them.

Gabriel’s brow furrows into a frown as well “I did notice. I’m not sure why they’d react like that. I mean, there’s no way they can know who you are, right?”

“I don’t know. I don’t think so… I looked at their eyes, none of them are witches. I don’t see how any fain would know my name!” Nathan grinds out, pushing a hand through his hair in frustration.

“I guess we’ll have to find out. For now, this doesn’t seem so bad at least? No one’s tried to kill us yet, even after you… We’ll figure things out as we go along, like we always do.”

“Ever the optimist.”

“Of course, someone has to balance out your sulkiness,” Gabriel nudges Nathan playfully with his shoulder.

“I’m not sulking,” Nathan grumbles sulkily. Gabriel laughs, but sobers again quickly.

“How are  you doing?” he asks gently.

Nathan is silent for so long, Gabriel isn’t sure if he’s going to answer.

“It’s… noisy. Everyone has a mobile, computers, televisions. I’ll never be able to tell if Hunters are coming.” Nathan trails off, absently rubbing his temple.

“There are no Hunters coming anymore, Nathan,” Gabriel reminds him. “We’re safe now.”

Nathan just snorts disbelievingly. “Yeah… We’ll see about that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Promising first day, wasn't it? 
> 
> I decided to add the occasional Gabriel pov so you'll get a better insight into his and Nathan's character, as well as some answers (if cryptic) earlier than if I'd have you wait for Neil and Andrew to figure everything out for themselves.
> 
> Hopefully if you made it this far, you got a few answers, but also several new questions. I'd love to hear your thoughts and theories, or any words you might have for me in a comment! They give me life!


	4. Plotting Along

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day at PSU continues, lots of observations and plans are made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, here we are at last with a new chapter! Sorry it took a while. To be completely honest I've been in Monster Hunter hell for a while now and it's been eating up a lot of free time. This chapter sat around half-finished for weeks as a result. I also had to shuffle around my chapter plan a bit to accommodate some things I hadn't thought about before... so these are my excuses for taking forever, but at least it's the longest chapter yet!
> 
> Here's the most incredible thing though: It seems I've already succeeded in enticing at least three people to read one or the other book series with this. Which just... blows my mind! I'm overjoyed at all the lovely comments and encouragements. They make me wiggle with glee!
> 
> Anyways. without further ado, I hope you enjoy this chapter :)
> 
> As always, all my thanks to nekojita for the beta!

Andrew Minyard is not amused. He’s not surprised either, not really. He’d known there was more about the mystery recruit that made Neil nervous than the mere fact that he shared his dead father’s first name. Granted, Neil hadn’t exactly lied to him, just told him half of the truth like he had so often the past year, and Andrew knew better than to expect him to shed all of his annoying habits that quickly… -but still. The guilty look that Neil shot him during the little introductions debacle confirmed that Neil himself knew he’d kept a few too many details to himself.

Now, as he sits smoking at the window in the bedroom of their suite, watching his roommates rummage about and storing their things, Andrew internally recaps his observations of the two freshmen.

Gabriel Boutin, from his name and faint accent clearly some form of French expat - Neil would probably know from where exactly - seemed like an open book at first glance. The way he sauntered into the Foxes’ lounge with no hint of hesitation or nervousness, he seems like the confident and friendly outgoing type. But all the sunny smiles and charm couldn’t quite hide that there is something more underneath. He didn’t radiate the same brand of overbearing cheeriness and naivety that Nicky uses to cover his insecurities, it’s more of a show of self-sufficiency and assuredness that doesn’t degrade into arrogance, a smooth exterior layer with a solid foundation of steel underneath. This guy could probably have gotten onto any team, given he played well enough, and wouldn’t have seemed necessarily a fit for the Foxes - if it weren’t for his tag-along.

Now this Nathan was a whole different story. He’d slunk into the room behind Gabriel like a shadow become solid. Dark hair, dark eyes and an even darker expression, like there was a barely contained rage simmering just underneath the surface, the scowl on his face like the cracks where it would erupt from. He wore entirely too much clothing, even by Andrew’s standards, for a South Carolina summer, all of it old and worn. Either his fashion sense is as tragic as Neil’s or he has a lot to hide, probably both. It reminded him a little too much of the way Neil arrived at the airport a year ago. But in contrast to Neil, this guy hadn’t seemed flighty or checking for exit strategies the moment he entered unfamiliar territory. Instead he’d stood firm and almost challenging beside Gabriel, sizing up the Foxes as he’d looked around. His eyes were black hollows, seemed to almost eat up the light around them, staring distrustfully out from underneath a messy fringe and furrowed brows. They’d raked over each team member, making deliberate eye contact with everyone in the room and apparently disregarding them, before he’d inexplicably tried to attack Allison of all people. Moving with a leonine grace and so fast that Andrew hadn’t even thought about whether to react yet when Gabriel had intervened. There was definitely some sort of history there, judging from what he had been able to hear in the tense murmurs from Gabriel to Nathan.

And there was also an obvious connection between them. Gabriel seemed tuned into Nathan, tethered to him as if he couldn’t stand to be outside of his orbit, and he in turn was constantly tugging Nathan’s attention effortlessly to himself, like he held an invisible leash on his temper, maybe even his sanity.

All of this, observed in those mere moments, had piqued Andrews curiosity, to say the least. Had he still been on those damnable drugs, he would’ve been cackling maniacally with glee over the mysteries presented for him to unravel, to pick apart like a hyena does carrion, looking for the juicy bits, grinning through teeth painted in blood.

Now, without them, his protective instincts far outweigh his potential amusement. Now all that’s left are all kinds of alarm bells shrilling in his head.

 

So, suffice it to say Andrew has questions. He starts thinking about how to acquire answers as Neil and the rest finish putting their things away. It’s going to need a different approach than he took with Neil, of course. Firstly, there are two of them, keeping their secrets between themselves, back to back against the world, so it’ll be harder to find openings, especially as they seem to be so inseparable. Andrew figures he’ll probably need a couple more days to observe them before he can make his move.

His musings are interrupted when Neil approaches, “Kevin wants to start with night practice right away,” he says, rolling his eyes slightly at the predictability, “so we’ll need to head back to the stadium and get the physical check ups over with today so we’re cleared to play.”

“Fine,” Andrew huffs as he drops down from the window ledge, knowing that arguing against the two junkies wouldn’t be worth his breath.

It also means that he might have a first chance to check out the newbies’ room when they’re out getting their physicals tomorrow.

 

\/\/

 

Gabriel closes the drawer of his dresser and turns to Nathan, whose ‘unpacking’ had consisted of throwing his backpack on a bed, thereby marking it as his, and opening a window to look out across the campus. Jack had fled their suite without a word as soon as he’d stuffed his things in a dresser.

“So what do you want to do now? We have the afternoon and evening to ‘settle in’, we could have a look around, buy some stuff that we’ll need. Or maybe we should start with choosing our classes?” Gabriel says, waving the material in his hand that Wymack had handed out to them.

Nathan studies him for a moment, clearly mulling over his options, then shrugs, “I don’t care. But I’ll go scouting out the area tonight.”

The implication being that he’ll be going solo. Gabriel doesn’t let that worry him. He knows Nathan will be moving faster alone and he’ll start setting up cuts for them to get around, since they don’t have a car… or driver’s licences.

“Well then, I guess we should get the class selection over with now.” He drops down on his bunk, shuffling backwards until he’s sitting with his back braced against the wall, and pats the spot on his left for Nathan to join him. He reads aloud through the course guide, listing all the different possible degrees and the core class options for freshman year. Nathan flops on his back, barely listening, but perks up a bit at the mention of art classes. In the end though, it proves to be a bit more difficult than Gabriel had thought and he has to admit that he has no idea how exactly to assemble a curriculum that works for both of them. So he throws the book aside and stretches.

“You know what, I’ll ask one of the upperclassmen for advice when you’re out tonight. They’ll probably have some suggestions, since they’ve done this all before,” he decides. It’ll also give him a chance to get to know some of them and maybe find out what’s going on with the weird looks they kept getting during introductions.

Nathan shrugs, the bedcovers moving under his shoulders, then levers himself up. “So what now?”

“We still have to do some shopping,” Gabriel smirks.

“Ugh,” Nathan groans but pushes off the bed and moves to the door, where he turns around with a suddenly hopeful gleam in his eyes, “Can we get cocoa with marshmallows?”

Gabriel laughs, “Anything you want, _mon loulou._ ”

Nathan’s brow crinkles momentarily as he parses the endearment, before a tiny smile ticks the corner of his mouth up and he ducks out of the room.

Over the last year Gabriel has been teaching him bits and pieces of French, between reading books and poems to him and then translating the words, and with all of the little phrases he throws at him throughout the day he’s picked up quite a bit. Nathan may never have been much for school, but he’s not stupid and he’s always had a good memory.

 

He grabs his now empty backpack and wallet and follows Nathan to the door of their suite.

Outside they almost run into three of their new team mates, Neil Josten, Kevin Day and one of the Minyard twins he remembered from introductions; Andrew judging from the black armbands covering his forearms. Neil is also wearing some, though longer and covering his elbows and hands too. Gabriel wonders what the partner look is all about, but having seen the scars on Neil’s face, impossible to miss or hide, he can take a guess.

The others spare him and Nathan barely a glance before moving wordlessly on to the elevators. Nathan heads towards the door to the stairwell instead. The three are already out the door and gone by the time they get to the ground floor, so Gabriel consults the map included in the info material given to them by Wymack and picks out a little store for student supplies on the other side of campus. He hands the map over to Nathan, who starts studying it in turn, and they set off together.

There don’t seem to be too many students around yet, giving them a chance to slowly get used being around more people again, before they’ll get caught up in the masses. The walk across the campus grounds is mostly pleasant, though Nathan looks a bit annoyed at the cloying heat, covered up as he still is.

“Are you going to keep wearing the scarf and gloves? You’ll die of heat stroke,” Gabriel teases.

Nathan predictably doesn’t respond.

“Besides, there really isn’t any point trying to hide anything. It’s not like the others aren’t eventually going to see when we change out with the team,” he continues casually. He knows Nathan is aware of this, but suspects he’s just too stubborn to let go of the disguise yet, no matter how much he must be sweating underneath.

They reach the little store and make their purchases, Gabriel keeping up the one-sided conversation, something he’s grown quite used to and knows Nathan quietly enjoys. It’s a welcome feeling, using money they didn’t have to acquire by not entirely legal means, and Gabriel appreciates their new financial fluidity without a guilty conscience. Mentioning this to Nathan in an attempt to remind him of the positive aspects of their presence here in Palmetto - no matter how rocky their start - earns him a noncommittal shrug, but Nathan had told him before that he never enjoyed having to steal from people.

After leaving the store they head to a coffee shop adjacent to it, where Gabriel buys his friend an iced chocolate in concession to the weather, as well as a large chocolate chip cookie for each of them. He is rewarded with a private smile, almost hidden behind the rim of the plastic cup, and Nathan finally relaxing a little.

“This I could get used to,” he says as he sips the blessedly cool beverage.

“What, getting treated to drinks and sweets by me?” Gabriel smirks, unpacking one of the cookies and handing it over. Nathan bites a big chunk out of it and hums affirmatively.

“I’ll be sure to do it often then. So what do you think of our teammates so far?” Gabriel pushes, now that he’s got him sort of talking.

Comfortable silence stretches as Nathan mulls over his thoughts, eyebrows crinkling contemplatively before speaking again. “Not sure yet. It’s not like we’ve had much interaction, either they stare oddly at me or ignore us completely.”

“I will find out what that is all about, I promise. But other than that they seem mostly alright, no? Though Jack is kind of an asshole.”

“Who?” Nathan looks up, confused.

“The guy we’re sharing the room with. Seems like he’d rather crawl into this Kevin Day guy’s ass. He must be a big deal in the Exy world, maybe we really should brush up on our knowledge of Class I,” Gabriel trails off, adding that to his mental to do list for the near future.

After another minute, Nathan speaks up again. “That one guy who came to recruit you -” “Us.” Gabriel gently interrupts. Nathan frowns at him but doesn’t bother contradicting him, instead he continues, bringing them back to the main problem, “he’s like the center of all this weirdness. Something’s obviously happened to him.”

“Neil,” Gabriel supplies the name again, “Yes, that much is obvious, and not just from those scars.” He winces in sympathy, thinking about whatever made the burns and cuts on the young man’s face most likely wasn’t an accident. There’s undoubtedly some very unpleasant story behind them and Gabriel thinks he’ll have to handle asking about it delicately. Maybe he’ll first check what all the internet coughs up about past events involving the Foxes,  remembering there being quite a bit when he first looked them up briefly.

That reminds him of something else which probably won’t please his irritable friend at all. “So there’ll be some sort of media release about us joining the team. Apparently Class I Exy is quite newsworthy. Some games are even televised.”

As expected, Nathan’s face draws into a scowl. He continues to slurp the dredges of his iced chocolate, either thinking hard or just sulking.

“I don’t think it will matter much, though,” Gabriel continues assuagingly. “Just another thing to get used to. I doubt anyone would recognize us or do anything about it.”

Nathan remains silent for the rest of the walk back to Fox tower, apparently preferring to hold on to the shreds of his temporary good mood for as long as he can.

 

It’s already afternoon by the time they get back to their suite, their roommate still nowhere to be seen, so after they’ve stored all their purchases Gabriel digs a shallow bowl out of his backpack and retrieves the package Van had sent them before they left for Palmetto. He sets the bowl on the window sill and prepares the liquid nightsmoke, so they’ll only have to light it up once night falls. Nathan watches him from the bed he’d dropped onto, leaning back on his arms.

“I thought we got the new stuff now, why do we need the bowl?” he questions, flapping one hand at the package now sitting on the dresser.

“We shouldn’t waste them needlessly, Van can only send us refills every few weeks. Plus I’ve never been much of a smoker myself.”

“And here I was going to teach you how to blow rings,” Nathan laments sarcastically.

Gabriel grins at him, but lets the invitation for innuendo pass in favor of opening another small packet sent by Van.

“How’s the head? Do you want to try these out now?” He holds up the special chewing gum Van had invented.

“What do you think? ‘Just another thing to get used to’, I’m sure,” Nathan snarks, but picks up one of the strips. “Might as well see if this stuff actually works.”

After a short while of vigorous chewing, belying the casualness in his previous remarks, Nathan’s brows unknot somewhat and his face takes on a less irritable expression as he murmurs a quiet ‘huh’.

Gabriel smiles wide, happy to see the obvious relief the gum is bringing. Van might be a little capricious sometimes, but when you ask her to come up with a solution to a problem, she usually delivers. He’s quietly glad that unlike Nathan he doesn’t have to deal with the buzzing of nearby electronics in his head all the time, even if it has saved their lives more than a few times in the past.

All done setting up, he packs away the remaining supplies and goes to sit by Nathan on the bed, who has lain back and closed his eyes in relaxation, still slowly chewing the gum though.

Figuring they have some time to kill before Nathan sets off on his ‘scouting mission’, Gabriel picks up one of the few books he brought along, a French copy of the Three Musketeers, and starts reading it aloud.

 

\/\/

 

After they’ve all endured their physical exams by Abby, Kevin decides they might as well get a short practice session in before dinner, what with them already being at court and all. Neither Neil nor Andrew is surprised, but Andrew declares that if they expect him to join night practice, Kevin better shut up about participating now. Kevin wisely concedes and he and Neil get on the court to throw balls around for a couple of hours while Andrew kicks back on the bench, continuing to ponder his plan of action regarding the troubling newbies.

He’ll have to make sure tomorrow that both them and newbie number three, Jack, are out of their room when he breaks in. Going through their possessions is the obvious first course of action, it provided a lot of insight into Neil last year after all. It’ll mean he’ll have to get up earlier than he’d like on a day when practice and classes haven’t officially started yet, but never say Andrew doesn’t make sacrifices. Depending on what he finds, he’ll then decide how to proceed. Taking them to Columbia might prove difficult, considering the car situation and the fact that there’s two of them. Maybe he can sic Nicky on Gabriel, they seem to have the talkative thing in common after all.

The sounds of balls hitting plexiglass walls, cones and racquets wind down after a while, the two junkies starting to clean up on court and afterwards moving to the lockers. Andrew waits up for them in the lounge, and they head back out to the Maserati.

The conversation thankfully turns from exy to dinner during the drive back to the tower.

“Maybe we can just order in something tonight, Nicky’ll be thrilled,” Neil suggests. When he sees Kevin scowl and open his mouth Andrew interrupts, “don’t even start about diets, we haven’t brought any groceries and I refuse to drive to the  store now.” Kevin’s scowl stays but he grudgingly settles back into his seat, muttering something about at least ordering salads.

When they arrive at Fox Tower, Andrew spots Nathan and Gabriel standing just out front. Before he can get anywhere close enough to hear what they’re talking about though, he sees Nathan turn away and break into a jog down the road away from them. The other boy staying behind, turns around and notices Neil, Kevin and Andrew approaching. He gives them a smile and a friendly little wave, waiting for them to reach him before turning to walk back inside the dorm.

“Where’s... your friend off to?” Neil asks, still carefully avoiding the name, but apparently also curious at the two separating unexpectedly.

Gabriel smiles amicably “Oh he’s just going for a little run. He likes that sort of thing.”

Neil’s eyebrows climb and Andrew wants to roll his eyes.

As they reach the third floor, Gabriel splits off from them, but instead of heading for his room, he knocks at the door of the suite Matt, Nicky and Aaron stay in. While Kevin continues to their own, Neil just throwing a confused look back but following, Andrew tries to subtly hang back, curious what he wants with any of the others, and more specifically who exactly he intends to speak to.

It’s Matt who opens the door, visibly doing a double take when he sees who knocked but quickly smiling, “Oh hey! Gabriel right?” he tries to pronounce the name as french as possible.

“Yes,” Gabriel responds with a smile too. “I was wondering if one of you could help me and Nathan with setting up a class schedule.” He ignores the tiny twitch Matt gives. “It turns out we don’t really know how any of this works, especially here in the States,” he finishes with a sheepish little shrug.

Matt looks momentarily stunned by the friendly candidness. “Oh. Yeah, uhm… sure! Do you wanna come in?” he turns aside to let the other enter the suite, still looking somewhat flummoxed as he closes the door behind them.

Andrew turns away, curiosity and wariness warring in him, but lacking a way to insert himself into the situation without rousing suspicion at least from Matt, he finally heads back to his own room.

Hopefully Neil hasn’t let himself be talked into ordering only salads for their dinner.

 

\/\/

 

Gabriel lets his eyes sweep over the slightly different setup of the upperclassmen’s living room. There’s notably a lot more stuff, text books about medicine covering one of the desks by the windows, and stuffed into shelves on the wall, beanbags on the floor in front of a TV and a gaming console, and some still unpacked or half-empty moving boxes cluttering the floor.

“Sorry about the mess,” Matt says noticing Gabriel’s inspection. “Seems like every year we come back with more things and less place to shove them.”

“It’s fine,” Gabriel reassures him. “I suspect our room won’t look pristine for too long either, though I didn’t expect this much space to begin with.”

“How do you like it so far?” Matt asks.

“It’s nice. We don’t need much, so this should do just fine for the next few years.”

Just then, somebody else pokes his head out of the bedroom. “I heard voices, who- Well hello there!” grinning wide he saunters over to enthusiastically shake Gabriel’s hand. “I’m Nicky, as you may remember from introductions. What brings you to our humble abode?” He unsubtly looks around for Nathan, smile broadening impossibly when he doesn’t see him. Matt behind him mouths ‘humble abode’ with a somewhat incredulous expression, shaking his head.

“Oh, I just wanted to ask for some help with setting up class schedules for Nathan and me, since we’ve never done this before and it seems a bit… convoluted?” Gabriel repeats, raising his hands in a confused gesture, looking between the two men in front of him now.

Nicky laughs exaggeratedly “Yeah, I bet it can be confusing! Good thing you’re coming to us then. Neil last year set himself up with way too many classes at the start,” he shakes his head regretfully.

A buzzing sound interrupts him and he pulls a mobile phone out of his back pocket. “Oh, Neil and the others are ordering food. I gotta go before Kevin tries to put me down for healthy shit. I’m sure Matt here can help you out though!” Nicky slaps the other man on the shoulder before dashing out the door, nearly bowling over the young woman who was just about to knock, Dan, Gabriel remembers their captain’s name.

She recovers quickly though and walks in, coming to stand by Matt’s side, who turns and leans down a bit to plant a quick kiss on her lips. She greets Gabriel with a firm nod and a smile. “So, you and Nicky getting to know the freshmen already?” she nudges Matt.

“Gabriel here just asked for some advice about classes,” Matt says, to which Dan knowingly nods her head again.

Gabriel hesitates, wondering if now would be the time to ask them about Neil, but decides against it.

“Ah, before I forget. If I wanted to go on the internet for a bit, do I go to the library? And is it open and accessible yet?”  he asks instead.

Matt frowns “Why don’t you use your phone if you just want the internet? The tower has wifi for students.”

“Oh I don’t have a cell,” Gabriel says casually. The other two’s eyes boggle like that is inconceivable. “Never really needed one,” he says simply instead of getting into the much more complicated true explanation.

“Huh,” Dan pauses “Well, you’re going to need one pretty soon. We’ll need a way to get in contact with you and, uh, Nathan.” She looks around briefly as if checking for the other boy.

Gabriel just smiles, “I’ll have to look into it then. But for now?”

“Yeah, the library is open already, and if you have your student ID you can get in,” Matt finally answers.

Gabriel nods his thanks and resolves to go check it out after their conversation, better to find out what the internet can tell him about his new team before he starts asking possibly offending questions about their odd behaviors.

They  finally settle down at the kitchen table where Matt spreads out the class guide and other materials from Coach Wymack, proceeding to explain things to Gabriel in a surprisingly easy to understand way. Only an hour later Gabriel is set up with a rough schedule for both him and Nathan, the two upperclassmen having been somewhat surprised at the art classes Gabriel had said his friend would be interested in, but chose not to comment on it further.

Gabriel thanks them both again for their help and heads back to his suite, thinking to himself that so far the Foxes really didn’t seem so bad as his quick internet search back in May had suggested. Sure, he hadn’t talked to half of them yet, and he noticed that they all had something about them that they couldn’t quite hide behind friendly demeanor and smiles, but they are clearly making an effort to leave the past behind. Matt bore his faded track marks almost proudly on his uncovered arms, clearly unbothered by the other seeing them, Nicky seemed almost overwhelmingly cheerful, but not in any way that felt false, and Dan just exuded confidence from every pore, as could be expected from a female captain of a competitive sports team.

Yet it had also become quite obvious that all of them were uncomfortable with Nathan for some reason. It was impossible to miss each of their searching looks when they spoke to Gabriel. Whatever the issue there, it was shared across them. He’s now doubly determined to find out what’s going on, as he knows how much the palpable tension is going to wear on Nathan, considering what it had been like for him back in Europe. Gabriel had advocated coming here because he thought it would be good for Nathan to have a new purpose and new people who might accept him without prejudice. He refuses to let this be ruined so soon by something that couldn’t have anything to do with their past.

 

After a brief stop in his room to put away the schedules, passing a returned Jack who pointedly looks away from him, he once more grabs the campus map and a ready-made sandwich from the fridge for dinner, and makes his way to the library before it closes for the night. True to Matt’s assurances, his brand new student ID gets him in no problem and he settles down at one of the cubicles with a PC setup.

“So… where to begin,” he ponders to himself, before typing ‘Palmetto Foxes’ into the search bar, clicking on the first headline that pops up, dated over a year back, and starts reading.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you think?
> 
> Some questions (vaguely) answered maybe? And some new ones added to the list?  
> It's sort of less tense then the last one at least. I hope I did Andrew some justice here and didn't end up too ooc... Next time we should be back to mostly Neil's pov.
> 
> I would LOVE to read your thoughts and theories in a comment!  
> You can also find me on tumblr @fall-for-the-game


	5. Maps and Patterns

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The first day of practice has come and Neil gets some new insights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here I am again with another chapter!  
> I'd kind of hoped to get it done before I left for Sweden at the end of February... but it obviously didn't happen, so there.  
> But at least it's once again my longest chapter yet!
> 
> So uhm... warning for description of scars?  
> I'm really not very good at figuring out what needs warnings, so if you find anything else, please do let me know!
> 
> And once again, thanks so much to nekojita for the beta!

It’s past midnight by the time Neil, Andrew and Kevin return from the stadium, having played until Kevin was sufficiently convinced that Neil hadn’t fallen completely out of form during their time off. Neil feels pleasantly tired and content, the way he always does after being able to work out his anxieties through his muscles, sweat them out from underneath his skin. 

By unspoken agreement, he and Andrew head straight up to the roof, where they sit to enjoy a smoke or two to wind down. This too feels like coming home, the quiet comfort of the cigarette smell, having Andrew’s warm presence at his side, and looking out across the now familiar view of the campus.

As he stares into the distance, he catches movement in his peripheral vision. Turning his head towards it, the  motion resolves into the shape of a person in the semi-darkness just beyond the street lights, jogging up to the tower and coming to a stop in front of it. Neil can immediately feel old instincts kicking up his heart rate - he can’t make out any details of the person, it’s like they’re entirely made of shadows. It’s not until he notices a second person, who he quickly recognizes as Gabriel, exiting the building and joining the shadow, that he realizes it must be Nathan.

“Andrew,” he says, whispering without really meaning to.

Andrew, who’s been sitting with his back against the ledge Neil’s sitting on, turns his head to look up at him, then follows his  line of sight down to the two freshmen. His expression stays as blank as always but the look in his eyes sharpens.

They’re talking now, too quietly to be heard four stories up, and Gabriel is handing something over to Nathan, who puts it to his mouth. It’s a cigarette, Neil recognizes as a small red glow lights it up.

“Did he  _ just _ return from that run?” he murmurs incredulously.

Andrew gives him a side-eye, but Neil is pretty sure he’s never been out quite  _ that _ long. 

He watches them converse for a little while longer, Nathan apparently blowing rings with the smoke of his cigarette until he finishes and they finally move back inside the dorm.

Neil keeps staring at the space they vacated, continuously mystified at the behavior of his new recruits. There’d been something clandestine about this meeting, something beyond a mere cigarette break. It had a feeling of coming up for air before diving back into tumultuous waters. He retrospectively feels a little guilty for witnessing it without their knowledge or consent.

Neil wondered what both of them could have been up to all day. He honestly wouldn’t have expected them to move an inch from each other’s side for more than a few minutes, let alone for several hours. He certainly would never have separated from the only person he knew so soon after arriving in unfamiliar surroundings. His mother had never allowed it. She’d always made him barricade himself in their motel room/ rented apartment/ abandoned house of the time, hiding behind the bed or in the bathroom, before she’d dare to go out and scout their surroundings. He’s not quite sure what about the scene he just watched makes him remember the agonizing hours of tension waiting for his mother to return, dreading the possibility that she finally wouldn’t. 

A shifting sound from next to him jolts him out of those thoughts; Andrew is getting up, looking expectantly at him. Neil also rises from the edge of the roof, coming to stand directly in front of Andrew, drinking in the reassurance of his calm features.

“Yes or no?” he asks quietly.

Andrew’s eyes search his face for a moment, then he answers “Yes.”

A few minutes later they make their way back inside and to their suite, Neil’s worries not forgotten, but laid to rest for the night.

 

\/\/

 

Morning comes around and Neil wakes to the sound of Andrew shuffling from his bed, still bleary-eyed and ungraceful. It’s uncharacteristic for him to be up before Neil, especially when there’s still no classes or morning practice yet. Neil drags himself from his own bed, leaving Kevin snoring in the bedroom and tracking after Andrew into the kitchen where he’s making coffee, habitually nonverbal before his first cup. So Neil doesn’t bother to ask him why exactly he’s up so early, instead grabbing ingredients for one of Kevin’s patented healthy smoothies from the fridge. 

Sitting at the kitchen island he watches Andrew puttering about, producing a sweet granola bar from somewhere in the cupboards where he must have hidden them away from Kevin’s judging gaze. 

“So,” Neil says when he sees Andrew finish the dregs of his coffee. “Plans today?”

Andrew sets the cup down and looks  considering at Neil for a few moments before deciding to answer, “Your newbies are getting their check-ups this morning. Seems a good time to ‘check up’ on some things myself.”

Neil frowns, trying to discern his meaning. He knows Abby would never abide anyone else coming into her office while she’s doing physicals, much less tell anyone what she finds; it’s the very reason he was able to remove his shirt for her last year. Andrew had been suspicious of him from the start, guessing at the existence of Neil’s scars from his behaviour but he didn’t get confirmation until Neil himself showed him. The only evidence against Neil that Andrew found himself had been what was hidden inside his duffle...

Then it dawns. “Andrew, no,” he exclaims, scowling now. “You will  _ not _ break into their room and go through their stuff!”

“Oh?” Andrew ticks up an eyebrow at him, face otherwise impassive, “And why shouldn’t I?”

“Do I need to remind you how that turned out for you last year? I noticed. And you jumped to the wrong conclusions.”

Andrew crosses his arms, “You said it yourself, we need to find out what their deal is.” He sounds almost petulant at Neil’s disapproval of his grand plan.

“Not like this we aren’t. Andrew you are many things, but you’re not subtle. They will find out and then you’ll have made enemies of them before official practice has even started. Nothing good would come off it! We need to be on the  _ same team _ with them, we can’t afford to antagonize them for no real reason!” Neil is working himself up to a full-blown rant or a panic attack, he’s not sure. It took him almost the whole last year to unite the fractioned Foxes and he doesn’t  want to go through all that again. It’s going to be hard enough to integrate the new recruits into the team without actively causing discord. They need to work together and win. Neil  _ has to  _ win, or else...

His snowballing thought process is interrupted when Andrew raises a placating hand. “Fine,” he concedes, though clearly not happy about it at all. 

Neil sits back, not having realized that in his agitation he’s almost been standing up and leaning over the kitchen island. He knows Andrew hasn’t exactly given up, but he’s at least accepted Neil’s point. For now.

Discussion over and his plans for the morning canceled, Andrew gets up and moves to the bathroom. Neil lingers in the kitchen until Kevin shuffles in, squinting and blinking like he’s sending  ‘good morning’ in morse code.

Their morning routine is back on track as everyone takes their bathroom turn and Kevin predictably starts making noises about heading over to the stadium for morning practice. Andrew rolls his eyes, but dutifully grabs the car keys while Neil and Kevin collect their training outfits, making it clear that he will not be participating until he officially has to.

When they exit their suite and make their way to the staircase, ahead of them the door to the freshmen’s suite opens and Gabriel steps out, Nathan back as his personified shadow today. Neil watches them as they too turn toward the stairs. Gabriel is smiling unflappably as usual, walking confidently next to his friend who… looks more tired than even his late return to the dorms should warrant. Neil almost sympathizes, remembering how on edge he was the first few nights in his shared room, sleeping in fits and starts. The second thing he notices is that Nathan is wearing fewer layers today. He’s in a faded grey t-shirt and black cargo pants again, but the scarf and gloves are notably missing, revealing the strange, repeating tattoo on the right side of his neck and the back of his left hand. The little finger of his right hand is wrapped in tape for some reason, but the nasty scarring on the wrist of the same hand is on full display. Neil looks over at Andrew, who is also studying the two recruits intently again, making Neil wonder what he’s plotting now.

They walk along behind them at a cautious if not respectful distance and once out of the building head to the parking lot and pile into the Maserati. As Andrew revs the engine, Neil lets his gaze follow the others as they turn the corner of Fox Tower, obviously meaning to walk to the stadium.

Andrew navigates the Maserati onto Perimeter Road and soon the Foxes’ court is visible, glaringly orange in the morning sun. 

When they get to the lobby however, Neil does a double take. Standing in the hallway near Abby’s office door are Gabriel and Nathan. How could they have made it there before them without a car is a complete mystery that leaves Neil standing dumbfounded in the door. Even Andrew looks surprised, only Kevin shoulders past them without a second glance, tunnel vision drawing him to the locker room to change into his gear. Neil shoots Andrew a questioning look, eyes wide and confused. Andrew shrugs ever so slightly, shaking his head to indicate he didn’t have an idea how they could have gotten here so fast either.

The two apparently haven’t noticed Neil and the others yet or decided to ignore them. Gabriel seems to be trying to calm his irate and tense looking friend who has his arms crossed so tight it’s almost like he’s hugging himself, trying to hold back an eruption of… something, head bowed and looking anywhere but the team nurse’s office. Gabriel has his hands on Nathan’s shoulders, leaning in and speaking in a quiet voice.

Neil strains his ears to hear what he’s saying but the words he catches don’t make much sense to him.

“Look at me,” Gabriel entreats his scowling friend who lifts his head ever so slightly. “It’s just an exam to see if we’re healthy, like they said. Nothing else happens in there.”

The other boy seems almost disgruntled at being comforted like this but he gives a tight nod, making himself stand up straighter. His posture still screams ‘I don’t like it’.

As if on cue the door opens and Abby leans out, giving the two freshmen a warm smile. “Ready?” she asks kindly, glancing from one to the other.

Gabriel smiles brightly back at her “Sure! Just one thing, could we go in at the same time? It’ll go faster this way, right?”

Abby looks startled for a second but doesn’t question them, more than used to taking things in stride when it comes to the Foxes.

She moves away from the door, opening it wide for both freshmen to enter. There’s a millisecond of Nathan balking on the doorstep but Gabriel’s reassuring hand on his upper back smoothly pushes him across.

When the door clicks shut Neil looks at Andrew, the question of ‘What was that all about?’ loud in his raised eyebrows.

“Seems someone doesn’t like doctors much,” Andrew states flatly, but with a calculating glint in his eye. It makes Neil think back to his own words to Abby last year. “No one really likes doctors,” he shrugs, more nonchalant than he really feels. “Some more than others.” The look Andrew throws him at that tells him that Andrew’s onto his bullshit but it’s not untrue really a lie so Neil just shrugs.

They don’t get to wait for the freshmen to come back out, herded to the locker room by an impatient Kevin who commands Neil to get his ass in gear, literally.

Neil takes it slow on the court, for him anyway, because last night’s session has admittedly left him a tiny bit sore and stiff, not that he’d ever admit it to Kevin. He’d just be a smug bastard about it.

They pack up and leave when it’s nearing noon, by then the only ones at the stadium, the other Foxes having trickled in and out of Abby’s office and stopping by the court to say hello, but not joining in. 

Back in the dorm they’re accosted by a hungry Nicky, so after a quick lunch consisting of whatever leftovers they’d brought back from Columbia, some much needed grocery shopping is in order. Kevin and Andrew argue the whole time at the store about the ratio of snacks to healthy foods in the cart, Neil content to drift along and being cheerfully chatted at by Nicky.

 

He doesn’t spot his recruits again for the rest of the day. That night during another one-on-one session Kevin speaks up about intending to bring Jack along as soon as possible, to start grooming him as a new striker properly. He looks at Neil meaningfully as he says this making it pretty clear that he’s expected to bring ‘his’ striker sub along too. He’s not sure how that will work out. Gabriel would probably agree readily enough, but does that mean Nathan would come along too? And would Andrew even let either of them? Most likely not, at least until he has some answers from them, Neil suspects. He thinks he might have to figure out some way to get those answers before Andrew applies his patented sledgehammer methods. He’s supposed to be vice-captain after all and he’s already caused enough tension with his stupid conditioned reactions to a name, he’ll have to try and smooth things over before it gets much worse… if only he knew how.

He resolves to gauge the general atmosphere at their first official practice tomorrow, when all the Foxes new and old come together on the court for the first time. It’ll be interesting to say the least, that much he’s certain of.

 

\/\/

 

After the tense ordeal that was their health exam with the unerringly friendly nurse Abby, Gabriel figures some mood-lightening is necessary. He’s once more glad that his friend had told him all about his life up until the point when they met, so he was very much aware of why the whole ‘waiting in front of the nurse’s office door for their exam’ scene had made him so nervous. It makes him furious all over again to think of the annual so-called ‘assessments’ that Nathan had to endure on his birthday since he was 8 years old and the treatment he’d suffered at the hands of the Council...

Nathan is radiating all sorts of dark vibes, skulking along beside him but clearly lost in his head and not paying attention to the outside world. So first order of business is to get him another frozen chocolate from a nearby student café and once Nathan is somewhat-more-happily slurping the beverage, Gabriel asks him to give him a tour of the area he’d scouted the day before along with all the other spots where he’d made cuts for them to get around faster.

Nathan readily agreed, directing him to the places they’d be most likely to frequent throughout their stay at Palmetto, as well as afterwards leading him to a small (by their standards) wooded area not too far from Fox Tower where Nathan had placed the cuts to the larger wildlife reserves of the state as well as, much to Gabriel’s surprise, one leading to their old ‘home’ back in Louisiana.

“What do we need that for?” Gabriel asks him as they stand in a small clearing in the middle of the woods. It looks so peaceful and remote, but they can’t be more than half an hour away from the athlete’s dorms.

“Van’s packages. I haven’t had time to make a cut back to England and tell anyone where to find it, so we’ll have to go back to the place at least once,” Nathan fidgets for a moment, looking around then shrugging before continuing vaguely, “And for visits, I guess.”

In other words, Nathan isn’t quite ready to let go of their little cabin yet, and he’s missing his family and friends. Gabriel’s heart warms, thinking back to the few precious people they left behind when they decided to move to the US.

Which reminds him. “Dan Wilds, the team captain, told me we’re expected to have a cell phone so they can stay in contact with us.”

At Nathan’s unhappy frown he smiles apologetically, “I know, but think! You could actually call Ellen or Arran whenever you want!” And now there’s a hint of a smile and a wistful expression. Encouraged, Gabriel continues “I’m sure it’s enough to have one phone between us, so you can still get away if it gets too annoying.”

“Alright, fine. I guess there’s not really a choice anyway, if the  _ captain _ commands it,” Nathan snarks but he doesn’t seem as unenthused about it anymore.

They make their way back to campus, finding a store to buy a phone where Gabriel has a long conversation with an overly cheerful salesperson who just  _ loves _ his accent while Nathan hangs back, vigorously chewing another of Van’s gum strips. He gets the phone all set up and ready to go. Then they head back to the dorm.

They’re greeted in the corridor by Dan Wilds and Matt Boyd, who make a point to introduce themselves again to Nathan.

“Ashworth, was it?” Matt grins, holding out a hand to shake which Nathan just eyes distrustfully, covering his somewhat startled reaction at he use of hist last name. Matt doesn’t seem to catch it, or just doesn’t mind.

“I see you got yourself a phone,” Dan points at the small device in Gabriel’s hand. “Let’s exchange numbers right away so I can keep you up to date on things, especially for the next few days!” He hands it over to her and she enters her and apparently a few other numbers while continuing in a practiced manner, “I don’t know if Abby reminded you, we’re supposed to gather at the court tomorrow morning at 8am sharp. You’ll be getting your new uniforms,” she winks “and then we can finally get down to business!” Matt snickers at the last bit, humming a melody under his breath and looking between Nathan and Gabriel as if they’re in on the joke. Nathan scowls and Matt’s grin dims a bit, then he huffs. “Looks like you’ve got your work cut out for you here,” he nudges Dan, who rolls her eyes.

“They can brush up on their pop culture education in their own time,” she says sternly before giving up the act and grinning. “But I guess I’ll have to make movie night mandatory for them too. We’ll call it a team bonding exercise.”

Gabriel is a bit lost, but he shrugs amicably “Movie night sounds nice.” Nathan stares at him then shakes his head and moves along to their door. Matt frowns after him, “Not much for socializing, is he?”

“He’s just not used to it,” Gabriel shrugs. “We lived pretty remote back in Louisiana.” Dan and Matt both look curious to learn more but he excuses himself to follow after Nathan.

After stopping by in the kitchen to fix up some sandwiches for dinner, he finds him lighting a nightsmoke cigarette at the open bedroom window, ignoring an irritated Jack.

“Hey asshole, can you do that shit somewhere else?” 

Nathan blows a smoke ring in his face by way of an answer. Jack sputters and coughs but gives it up as a lost cause and leaves them alone, presumably to see about his own dinner.

“So tomorrow it starts for real,” Gabriel hums as he settles on the window sill beside his friend. “It’s going to be interesting, don’t you think?”

“The two of us locked in a plexiglass box with a bunch of misfit fains? What could go wrong?” Nathan snorts, but he sounds more amused than annoyed.

Gabriel chuckles.

“I guess we’ll see.”

 

\/\/

 

8am the next morning finds Neil anxiously jiggling his legs as he sits on their couch in the lounge at the stadium. He’s been up for what felt like forever, went on a run in the early hours of the morning to try and calm his nerves, but for once even that didn’t seem to help. So he tries to let Andrew’s warmth pressed into his side distract him as Wymack starts his pre-practice spiel while Abby is going around handing out the jerseys and other needed equipment to the newest Foxes.

“So we’re going to do mostly warm-up today, because I know most of you have been slacking off. Then Kevin and Neil will show the freshmen the drills you’ll be working on for the next few weeks until you can do them in your sleep,” Wymack says in his usual gruff tone as he eyes the new recruits. Jack’s eyes are riveted on Kevin with an almost fanatic gleam while Sheena next to him is shifting in her seat. Neil hasn’t paid much attention to either of them so far, his mind having been too occupied with worrying about the other two new guys, who are sitting side by side in one of the new small couches brought in to accommodate the increased number of Foxes this year. Nathan is holding up his new Fox jersey, eyeing it with an expression caught somewhere between incredulity and disgust while Gabriel is nudging him and grinning, saying something too quiet for Neil to hear. It’s the furthest the dark haired boy’s expression has been from the usual scowl as Neil has seen it.

“After we break for lunch I’ll see you guys at the gym in the afternoon. That’s the gym, not the stadium, pay attention! Be there by 3pm or I’ll have you signed up for the first marathon of the year before you can blink,” Wymack finishes, which Dan takes as her cue to speak up.

“This is only for today, since the gym was booked for this morning. Starting next week it’s gym in the morning before classes, practice in the afternoon. There you have it, now get off your asses and change out!” she claps her hands together and leads the way to the locker rooms.

Neil follows behind Kevin and Andrew to the men’s lockers, the rest of the male Foxes trailing behind them. He grabs his jersey and shorts and takes them to one of the shower stalls to change out, still uncomfortable with showing his scars to anyone but Andrew, especially with the new recruits around.

He returns all dressed in time to catch Nathan dragging his frayed shirt over his head and stops dead. He can’t help his eyes snagging on Nathan’s torso, or rather the scars covering it. There’s two small round divots, one on his lower left side just below the rib cage and one in the middle of his abdomen; shapes that Neil is intimately familiar with as bullet holes. And there’s a number of long slashes that look like they were knife cuts. Deep ones. They don’t look like they happened in a fight; too clean, too clinical, almost surgical, yet clearly not made by a medical professional. 

Neil’s hand unconsciously wanders up to his own stomach, where hidden under his shirt and jersey his father’s and Lola’s marks criss-cross in a much more haphazard fashion. Then he feels Andrew’s gaze heavy on him and forces his feet to unfreeze, moving sluggishly over to the bench. Andrew obviously witnessed the scars as well and knows the significance, but his eyes flicker not to the other boy’s chest but to his right arm, where at second glance Neil now also notices a series of neat lines, shallow and faded compared to the still angry looking ones on his chest, but still there. Neil catches Andrew’s eyes again, reading the meaning and questions in there, but unable to provide any answers.

Nathan is changing with his back to his locker, almost pressed into it, his front facing the other Foxes like it’s nothing to him to display his scars for everyone to see. If he’s uncomfortable about anything, it’s the tattoos, as he keeps rubbing his neck like he wants to wipe the letter and numbers there away. It doesn’t make sense.

Needless to say, everyone else in the room has noticed him as well. Nicky is staring quite blatantly, clearing his throat and looking like he’s about to say something but he catches Gabriel’s small shake of the head and for once keeps his mouth shut.

Aaron however is not so easily deterred. “I thought we’d had enough assholes tattooing numbers on themselves last year,” he sneers, causing Kevin’s head to snap around from where he’s been bending down tying his shoes, his hand twitching upwards like it wants to touch the chess shape on his face.

Nathan stares Aaron down for a long moment before he flatly states, “It’s not a tattoo.”

Aaron scoffs, “What, are you trying to tell me it’s a birthmark?” but Nathan doesn’t dignify him with any further response, turning his back once he’s put on his jersey, the back reading ‘Ashworth’ and the number 13.

Gabriel, wearing the number 14, leans in and says something to his friend, receiving a casual shrug in lieu of an answer, but he smiles at it.

Kevin meanwhile has collected himself and yells at them to stop wasting time and air. “You need to get back in shape,” he tells them imperiously. “We can’t afford to lose again and it’s not even two months until the first game of the season!”

He keeps monologuing about training regimes and diet schedules all the way onto the court where the girls are already waiting for them. Dan has her arms crossed impatiently while Renee smiles warmly when Andrew nods at her in greeting. The smile wilts slightly however, when she sees the freshmen coming up behind them. Allison beside her is shooting venomous looks at Nathan.

Neil wants to sigh; it looks like they’re off to a great start already.

 

When all the Foxes are lined up on the court, Dan in front of them beckons Neil forward to stand next to her. He swallows down his nerves and does, trying to get used to the new perspective. Then they lead everyone in a long series of stretches before Dan orders everyone to take laps around the court, having Neil set the pace.

As practices go, it’s not too strenuous but almost everyone is sweating and wheezing after the laps, grumbling at Neil’s speed and freakish stamina. 

Afterwards, Kevin starts showing them the drills they’re supposed to perfect, slight variations on Raven drills that Neil recognizes, splitting off the freshmen for him and Neil to watch over while the rest of the Foxes practice under Dan’s supervision.

The more time Neil spends with the other two freshmen, the more it dawns on him that those too might become a problem. Jack sneers at him every time he tries to show him something and Sheena just seems to mimic his disdain, happy to disregard Neil’s authority whenever she can get away with it. It’s exhausting, making him almost prefer the much more affable temperament of Gabriel even with Nathan looming beside him at all times, performing the drills with quiet determination, if not total accuracy. He still can’t help the tiny flinches everytime Kevin calls out Nathan’s name, but he thinks he might get used to it sooner rather than later at this rate.

When they wind down for lunch break the other Foxes rejoin them. Nicky sidles up to Gabriel, striking up a conversation.

“Dan tells me you’ve got a cell phone now? We’ll have to swap numbers!” he practically purrs. Encouraged when Gabriel simply agrees, he turns his cheshire grin on Nathan, “So Ashworth, huh? That’s a really cool name! Can I call you Ash?”

Nathan glares impressively at him but says nothing, which Neil knows Nicky will just take as permission. He half suspects Nicky is doing this to give Neil a reprieve from having to hear Nathan’s name called out all the time by establishing a nickname, but he’s not sure if he appreciates the effort.

 

The Foxes split up in small groups to head out for lunch, Neil walking out to the car with Andrew, Aaron, Nicky and Kevin. Nathan and Gabriel once more walking off in a different direction before turning a corner and seemingly just vanishing.

When they reconvene at the gym in the afternoon tensions seem to run slightly lower, with everyone already somewhat tired out from morning practice and a full stomach.

Neil leaves Andrew by the benchpress and gets on a treadmill, noticing Nathan also claiming one a few down the row. He sets a brutal speed, rivaling Neil’s at his most desperate, and runs like a machine, a faraway look in his eyes and for once missing the frown lines between his brows. Turning his head, Neil can see Gabriel admiring the indoor climbing wall at the other end of the gym, looking like he’s plotting a course already and can’t wait to get his hands on it.

 

The rest of the afternoon passes uneventfully by Foxes standards. All in all, this first day could have gone much worse, and evening comes around faster than Neil expected. He’s up on the roof with Andrew before he really realizes it, blinking in surprise.

“You saw them,” he says to Andrew after a beat. 

Andrew nods.

“They didn’t look like… “  _ yours _ , he doesn’t finish, but Andrew nods again.

He’s seen them a few times now, the scars Andrew covers with the black armbands on his forearms. They’re faded now but they were messy, angry and desperate in their patterns, emotions running wild when they had nowhere else to go. Fossils of a vulnerability long lost to him now. 

The ones they both, if not all the other Foxes were able to see on Nathan’s right arm - and only his right arm - looked clean and deliberate, evenly spaced and of equal length and depth. Methodical.

The unconcerned way the other boy exposed himself, as if he couldn’t care less what they might think about him, makes Neil almost envious. But then what was with his reluctance to go into Abby’s office yesterday?

Questions upon questions. He can practically feel the wheels turning in Andrew’s head, fingers itching to pry the answers from the enigmatic duo by any means necessary.

Instead he lights up another cigarette, seemingly resigning himself to patience. 

For now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you made it this far, thank you so much for reading!  
> I'd be ever so thankful for any comments you leave, they absolutely make my day!
> 
> I'm trying to give myself more time to let things play out, add in more actual dialogue and try to let all the Foxes play a part (I don't think Kevin has spoken more than three sentences in the last 4 chapters...) and put in some deliberate references to the books. It's so much fun to play with these characters and try to think of how they might interact, this is why I love crossover!
> 
> My final words to you today are: Banana Fish

**Author's Note:**

> Well, there it is.  
> I decided to end the chapter there to try and give it more of an impact.
> 
> If anyone has made it this far, thank you so much for reading! I'd appreciate to hear your thoughts in a comment.
> 
> I have no idea what kind of update schedule this is going to have. So far, I can barely keep my mind of this fic long enough to read other things, so writing goes fairly fast. I've at least 9 chapters planned out. You can probably expect the second half of the recruitement soon-ish.
> 
> I honestly can't wait to get all the characters together! *rubs hands*


End file.
